A Tale of Two Lovers
by DontDoubtMe
Summary: AU. Two children meet in a meadow. One mysterious boy and one desperate girl. A war divides their people. As the seasons change and they fall in love, how far will they go to stay together and who will she choose? The boy she loves or her family? As her life crumbles down around her, she may not get what she wants. Her people prepare for battle. KatnissxPeeta
1. Chapter 1: Grey meets Blue, Spring

**Herro, Guys! I had this amazing idea for a story while I was trying to get some sleep. I spent at least half an hour just laying awake trying to process everything going through my head and here it is. I hope you guys will enjoy it.**

**Important Information:**

**- This story takes place in a fictional world.**

**- Characters may be OOC, particularly Katniss.**

**- This story will be a KxP story from the get-go. If you don't like it then please kindly take you're mouse to the left corner and exit this screen.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, yada yada yada. You know the rest.**

* * *

_The little girl ran up to the frail old woman, enveloping her in a tight hug. She clung onto the older woman's dress tightly and buried her face in it._

_"Hello, Grandmother," she said, her voice muffled. She inhaled the scent of her great grandmother's clothes. Her blonde hair cascading in waves behind her._

_The old woman chuckled and a smile formed across her wrinkled face. "Hello, child. How are you today?"_

_The girl looked up and smiled. "Good," she said, burying her face back into the dress._

_"Lyss! Where you?" A small voice called from outside the hut._

_Alyss frowned and turned around as her grandmother gave her a gentle push._

_"Go get your brother, Alyssum," she said._

_The little girl bounced out of the hut and into the night as her grandmother gently lowered herself to the ground. Her aged hands moved quickly and soon a flickering fire burned before her. Alyss came back, a toddler holding her hand. His dark brown hair flowing over his eyes._

_His eyes lit up when he saw the old woman. "Nana!" He shouted, waving and waddling over to her on unsteady feet. He collapsed into her open arms and she chuckled as he sighed contently._

_"Hello, Rowan," she said softly. "How's my baby boy?"_

_Rowan giggled softly before hiding his face in his hands shyly. Their great grandmother smiled, her warm grey eyes shining in pure adoration._

_Alyss say down across the fire from them. Her tiny body soaking up the fire's warmth. She pulled the bear fur blanket away from the bed and curled up in it. Her blue eyes reflected the flickering firelight that cast changing shadows onto the walls. She watched as her grandmother tickled her little brother's tummy and sighed._

_"Grandmother, you promised you'd tell us a story," Alyss whined quietly._

_Her great grandmother stopped tickling Rowan and looked up, smiling. "Oh, of course, Alyss. Story time."_

_Rowan froze immediately upon hearing the words 'story time.' He clapped his hands and kicked his feet. "Story time!" He held up a finger to his mouth. "Shhh!" He propped himself up on his arms and crawled over his sister. She opened the blanket and he sat next to her. Her grandmother smiled at the way Alyss brushed Rowan's hair from his eyes. He giggled at her soft touch._

_Their grandmother closed her eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the hum of the summer insects. She opened them and looked at her great-grandchildren, her eyes nearly blind from age. "Now, what story do you want to hear, children?"_

_Alyssum's face lit up and she leaned forward eagerly. "Two lovers! Can you tell us about the two lovers, Grandmother?"_

_Rowan nodded vigorously, clapping his hands again. "Yay, two blubbers!" He squealed excitedly._

_Their great-grandmother laughed, her voice musical. "I knew you would pick that one." Her grey eyes grew cloudy and her voice shook as the smell of pine smoke filled her senses._

_"Long ago-"_

* * *

The old stories tell of gods and goddesses that created the world, each putting in their own unique feature. Eyu created the clay that became the earth. Wu covered it in water that flowed and shifted as Atashu created the air that floated above. Lifa created the life that lived on Eyu's creation, while Sitmi created the soul, a small sphere of energy, that existed within each living thing and upon death, was sent to Sitmi's realm, the spirit world. But the most important god was Humi, who created the people in his image. Humi breathed life into the first people and it is to him who the People call upon when in need of answers.

As time passed the People began to forget about their creators, who were content with watching their play things do as they wished. The ancient people lived and died for many generations, each person living the same life as those before him. Then, during a particularly harsh winter, the People split. One group traveled west, over the mountains, and into the Ancient Forest that had existed since the dawn of time. Soon, they became known as the Forestpeople, practicing slash and burn farming in the dense underbrush. Another moved South into the Endless Desert, where they adapted quickly to the burning sun and their skin slowly turned black as night. The Sandpeople were the ultimate survivors, able to live off the desert oasises that were scattered throughout it. A third group traveled east, inhabiting the luxurious white sand shorelines of the Great Water. The Waterpeople became excellent sailors, quickly spreading out over the uninhabited islands that dotted the coast and hunting the dangerous beasts that lurked below the surface. The last remained behind, continuing their search for food on the Great Plains. These nomads became the first of the Plainspeople.

The years went by and another winter returned, this one harsher than any other before. In an act of desperation the men of the Plainspeople stole from the Forestpeople, accidentally killing an old man in the process. It was an accident the Forestpeople agreed and so the murderer was forgiven. However, the man's sons could not forgive. In the dead of night, they snuck into a Plainspeople camp and murdered the man who killed their father. The Plainspeople were outraged. The shaman of the People called them to a peace meeting. 'Forgive and forget,' he said. 'Balance has been restored to our people.' The Sandchief melted back into the sand dunes and the Waterchief returned to his villages in the east. The Plainspeople. however, ignored him and prepared their weapons for war. That summer during the annual monsoons they attacked the Forestpeople. And the cycle began.

The years passed passed and the Sand and Sea chiefs, who had earlier avoided the war, called for a temporary peace meeting. The shaman was dying. He was ancient and wise, his hair grey and his eyes blind. It was time to choose a new successor. A young girl was chosen to lead the People's way. The chieftains crowded around the shaman and listened to his final words, his voice weak and hoarse.

"This war . . . will end . . . when . . . the grey eyes . . . meet blue. The mountains . . . will call their names . . . and . . . the spirits will guide them. Wait for . . . the boy . . . and the girl . . . who's bonds . . . bring together . . . these . . . four tribes. When they meet . . . they will . . . overcome. Even when . . . all hope is lost."

And with that last breath the shaman passed from the world.

* * *

Katniss Everdeen sighed softly as she looked over the prairie grass. Her silvery grey eyes slowly shifted from left to right, taking in the morning light. She slowly crawled through the grass, her shoes silent against the dark dirt. She wore her dark brown hair in two intricate braids that flowed down to her mid back. A bow was clutched in her hand and a quiver filled with white feathered arrows was worn on her back. A water skin and obsidian blade were worn around her waist. Katniss wore light brown deer skin clothing that she had made herself. She licked her lips nervously as she watched her prey.

The small herd of plainsdeer remained blissfully unaware of the approaching danger. They were beautiful creatures really. They had beautiful, sleek black coats and stood five feet at the shoulder with beautiful antlers a foot wide and an inch thick. Their long, powerful legs allowed them to easily jump fifty feet in a single bound, as well as watch for predators over the grass. They were majestic, powerful creatures that, when cornered, could easily kill a man with a shake of their heads.

Her stomach growled and she looked up, panicked, but none of the deer showed any signs of being alerted and were still peacefully grazing. Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. Her family's supply of preserved meats had dwindled down and would only last a few more days. Katniss' father, Alder, had been injured in a raid early in January and, only through careful rationing, had Katniss miraculously gotten their food to last until spring. Now, with the snow gone, she could finally head out and hunt for food.

The men of her tribe would not allow women to join their hunts so Katniss had headed out early this morning, moving towards the mountains that separated the warring tribes of plain and forest. The women of her tribe handled the game brought in by the men, the foraging, and during the summer months, when the Plainspeople settled down for a while, the gardens. Katniss' mother, Lilly, had fallen into a deep depression when her father's wounds had taken a turn for the worse and Katniss had been left to take care of her family. Thus, the duty of providing their next meal fell onto a thirteen year old Katniss.

Katniss' eyes carefully observed the deer before reaching to her quiver and selecting an arrow. She kissed the head of the arrow softly and whispered a quiet blessing for luck and salvation before knocking it to her bow. She pulled the bowstring back, her arms straining against the draw weight, before honing in on her target, a smallish deer with a slight limp. Katniss slowly breathed in through her mouth before exhaling through her nose, her breath creating a fog in the cool morning air.

Katniss inhaled once more, trying to calm her frantically beating heart. Finally, with one last exhale she stood up, simultaneously firing her arrow. She gave a startled yelp as the bowstring struck her, grimacing at the pain that radiated from her forearm. Her arrow spun through the air before flying wide of the herd, burying itself deep into the dark earth.

The deer exploded, scattering in every direction. One bounded towards her with frightening speed before leaping clear over her head. Katniss tripped and fell on her butt before leaping back to her feet, chasing after it. The deer sprinted into the forests quickly, vanishing in between the trees.

The Mountains of the Spirits separated the warring tribes. It was said that people who traveled into them without taking the correct passages or traveled alone were never seen again. The shamans believed that the spirits of the dead were angry with the people. Angry that they were still fighting over an issue of the past. But both sides refused to back down and the fighting never stopped.

Katniss frowned and glared defiantly at the mountains. She would follow that deer to the ends of the earth if it meant food for her family.

* * *

A chill went down her back as she looked over her shoulder. She didn't see any movement but something was off. Ever since she had entered the forest she hadn't seen another animal besides the birds that fluttered out of reach above. All she saw were trees and bushes. Her eyes narrowed before she started walking again.

_"Katniss."_

She spun around quickly, her hands on her bow, ready to pull it out if needed. Her eyes darted around frantically. Nothing. She convinced herself that she was imagining things.

The Great Plains had disappeared hours ago, blocked by the sheer amount of trees around her. Accustomed to wide open spaces, the trees were suffocating Katniss. The thick tree limbs above her covered the forest floor in shadows and the deer was still moving, continuing deeper and deeper into the forest and higher into the mountains. Katniss reached to her hip and untied her goatskin canteen from her waist. She opened it and took a sip of water, relishing the cool liquid that trickled down her throat.

It was then that she noticed the absence of noise. The songbirds, which had earlier been singing so beautifully, had now disappeared. She turned her head from side to side nervously. The woods were dead silent.

The sound of beating wings made Katniss jump. The bird landed in front of her, cocked its head to the side and eyed her curiously. The tiny thing was startlingly beautiful. It had sleek black feathers that covered its entire body except for a white V that covered its breast and wing tips. The bird had piecing green eyes and red feathers that coated its delicate neck. The bird cooed softly before hopping a few feet away. It stopped and turned when Katniss didn't move. The bird whistled softly again before taking flight, soaring away gracefully.

Katniss ran after it, her heart beating fast. _Was she really following a bird_, she wondered. She weaved in between trees and leapt over fallen logs, her bow and quiver bouncing against her back. She passed through beams of light that dappled the forest floor, always following the sound of flapping wings. Katniss ran until she emerged into a large clearing and bent over, her hands on her knees and breathing hard. She inhaled deeply, basking in the glow of the warm sun, and threw her head back letting out an elated laugh. She could feel the sun again.

Katniss calmed herself down and took in her surroundings, as a gasp escaped her. She stood in a beautiful green meadow. The short green grass looking so different from the long grasses of the plains she was normally used to seeing. Yellow flowers poked out in the spring afternoon. The sound of rushing water caught her attention and she turned her head to find a large lake to her side. It sparkled in the noon sunlight and she rushed over to it. Katniss fell to her knees and thrust her face in the cool water, relishing in the liquid's coolness. She leaned back onto her heels and sighed in content.

She closed her eyes and quietly began to hum to herself as she removed her bow and quiver. It was a favorite tune of Katniss'. Her mother had long since banned the song but she and her father would still hum it together when they were alone. It was called The Hanging Tree and was as old as the People itself. Katniss liked it because it was simple and easy to harmonize to. Singing had always relaxed her and here she felt at peace.

She opened her eyes to hear the sound of a flute playing. It was a low, sweet sound that drifted through the air and she listened to the music as it drifted over the meadow. Katniss stood and picked up her bow before slowly walking towards the sound, her feet moving lightly. She closed her eyes, letting the music guide her. She quietly reentered the forest and made her way through the trees. The sound was close now, she could feel it.

She took one more step and was suddenly hoisted into the air by her leg. She gave a startled scream as she dangled from the trap. The flute stopped playing and she heard the sound of soft foot falls approaching. Her eyes grew wide with fear and she cringed at her stupidity. Let it be her love of music that got her killed. Only one group of the People lived in these forests. She knew she was going to die. This Forestperson would definitely slaughter her, or worse for rape was not uncommon during raids between the two tribes. Katniss licked her lips and grabbed at the obsidian blade in its sheath around her hip. Her hand clamped onto the little stone knife and she unsheathed it, bringing it to her foot. She quickly slashed at the rope and fell to to the ground in a heap.

She landed with an 'oomph!' on her back and quickly untangled herself, looking up just in time to notice the spear point an inch and a half from her nose. She looked up at the person above her and nearly bit her tongue off in fear.

The figure was barely taller than her but it was stocky. It wore a cotton sleeveless shirt and deer hide pants. The spearhead was made of a yellowish stone and the shaft was crafted out of wood and held in the right hand. A woven shield was strapped to his left arm. A clay mask shrouded its face from her view. The mask was simple with three holes for the eyes and mouth but it was frightening nonetheless. Katniss stared at the figure's cape which was a dark shade of green and camouflaged the person in the green forest.

The person's hand lifted to its face and Katniss' heart skipped a beat, her throat constricting once more in paralyzing fear. The mask was lifted off . . . and grey eyes met blue.

* * *

**Yo, so this is the first chapter to A Tale of Two Lovers! I really like the way this turned out so I hope you enjoyed it. Also, just to clarify, the woman telling the story is the great-grandmother of Rowan and Alyssum.**

**P.S. - If you type in Princess Mononoke into Google and look at a picture of San you can see how I pictured the mask. I highly recommend this anime if anyone has time to spare. It follows the story of a boy who becomes infected with a demonic parasite. In order to cleanse himself of it he must speak with the God of the Forest and have him remove it. When he reaches the land of the Gods he discovers that the spirits of the forest are locked in a fearsome clash with the humans who are destroying it.**


	2. Chapter 2: First Meeting, Spring

**Heyo! So, this is the second chapter and honestly I'm very disappointed with it. Bare with me though it'll get better next chapter . . . hopefully. Anyways, sorry I didn't update last week. I was at my cousin's house and didn't have time to upload. Anyway, let's begin now shall we?**

* * *

Katniss was captivated by those eyes. How long she stared into their blue depths, she didn't know. She blinked back into reality and the blueness receded from her vision. She quickly examined the owner of the eyes, her fingers clutching onto the knife tightly as she let out a shaky breath. This was the enemy she reminded herself. For all she knew, he could have been the person who attacked her father. The people of the forest were known for being brutal and violent. Lovers of war and battle, trained from birth to be warriors.

But the eyes belonged to a boy about her own age. He had messy blonde hair under the mask and his face was smudged with dirt, but his crystal blue eyes still shone brightly. She could make out the faint lines of several large scars along his arms. The hand that held the spear pulled back slightly, widening the distance between it and Katniss' nose. His eyes twinkled under his mask and he seemed amused at her annoyance.

"You're-" The boy's voice was hoarse and cracked embarrassingly. Katniss laughed as he coughed and cleared his throat, blushing deeply. "Sorry. You're not from around here are you?" He asked, smiling boyishly. His voice was just slightly lower than her's and she stared at him some time, those eyes sucking her in once again. "You from one of the outer tribes?" He asked curiously, leaning against his spear and cocking his head cheekily.

"What?" Katniss shook her head slightly to dispel the effect of those eyes. She had to convince the boy to let her go, so she lied and nodded, smiling nervously at him. "Oh, yeah. I'm from one of the outer tribes," she said quickly.

The boy nodded and pushed his mask to the top of his head. He held out his now free hand to her. "Peeta," he said.

She ignored his hand and quickly pushed herself to her feet. "Katniss Everdeen," she said, brushing the dark brown hair away from her face. Peeta looked her over closely. He smirked for a moment before turning around and walking away. Katniss scowled at the back of his head, crossing her arms.

He turned around and looked at Katniss when he noticed she wasn't following him. "Come on, my camp isn't too far away from here," he said before stalking off again. "You look hungry."

Katniss' stomach growled and against her better judgement she jogged after him. 'After this,' she told herself. 'After this I'm taking off.' They walked through the woods, the boy quietly whistling to himself as she trailed a few feet behind. Katniss stepped out of the woods and froze with a gasp. They stood on a ledge jutting out from the forest and from it she could see the meadow and lake from earlier below her. The trees stretched out beyond that before slowly fading into the familiar plains she knew so well.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I felt drawn here, like I was meant to find it."

Katniss jumped. She hadn't heard him approach her. Peeta gently touched her arm and motioned towards her right, where an opening into the cliff was. Peeta whistled loudly and a midnight-black dog materialized from the cave. It was large, probably three and a half feet at the shoulder with a large, strong chest; a hunting dog. The dog walked over to her and sniffed her hand curiously before following after the boy. Peeta walked over to a stack of wood and carried a few logs over to a circle of stones in front of the cave. His hands moved quickly and efficiently and soon a small crackling fire emerged before their eyes. Peeta leaned over it, coaxing it more with a soft breath of air before sitting back with a smile. The large black dog plopped down next to him and Peeta scratched him behind the ear.

"This is Rex. Here, sit down," he said, motioning to a few boulders next to the fire. He stood up and backed away into the cave. "I'll get us something to eat."

Katniss sat on a rock and looked out over the plains, propping her bow up on the rock next to her. Her tribe would be moving away soon, following the migrating herds they've chased since the beginning to time. She had to hurry back if she didn't want to get left behind. Peeta returned with Rex on his heels and sat on the ground next to her, a fat rabbit in his hands. He reached over and pulled a well used stick out of the ground, running it through the body. Peeta put the spit over the fire and sprinkled the meat with a powder as Rex curled up next to the fire. He stood and mumbled something before walking away.

The smell of cooking meat reminded Katniss that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Her mouth began salivating as she watched the juices drip from the rabbit. Peeta laughed and she turned to face him. Katniss' eyes widened in surprise, Peeta's dirty blonde hair had been washed and his face and body stripped of the dirt from earlier.

"You look like you haven't eaten in days," he chuckled, sitting down on the ground next to his dog.

Katniss frowned. "Maybe I haven't," she muttered darkly. The smile slipped from Peeta's face and he shifted uncomfortably as Katniss smiled to herself at the boy's sudden shift in demeanor. She took joy in wiping that always present smirk on his face.

The light slowly began disappear and they watched the setting sun disappear over the horizon. Katniss was watching the oranges and yellows mix when Peeta reached forward, taking the spit out of the fire. He handed it to her, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Here," he mumbled quietly.

She looked at him with wide eyes, "Really?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, take it."

Katniss smiled, "Thanks!" She took a bite out of the rabbit and moaned quietly. "It's so good," she said, eagerly taking another bite.

Peeta laughed. "Slow down," he chuckled, turning his attention to the stars that were beginning to appear in the evening sky. He listened to the crackling of the fire and stretched, leaning against the rock comfortably. Rex settled his head onto Peeta's lap, who chuckled and rubbed Rex's head affectionately.

* * *

Katniss stood up and stretched as Peeta finished the rabbit's leg. 'Who is this boy?' she wondered. He was a member of the Forestpeople for sure, only they knew how to survive in the ancient forests. She shook her head. She didn't care who he was. That wasn't her problem. Her problem was finding a way to get away from him. Katniss sat back down and stared out into the night.

Peeta looked up at her when he finished eating, tossing the other leg to Rex, who whined in anticipation. He watched the girl and studied her as she quietly fiddled with the tip of her braid. His eyes roved over her tan skin and her carefully crafted clothing.

Katniss could feel his eyes on her and she shifted uncomfortably. She turned around and smiled at him, her fingers nervously playing with her hair.

"What?" She asked.

Peeta laughed stood up, walking over to her and crouching down to eye level. Rex looked up before returning to his bone as Peeta leaned closer to Katniss, his lips brushing her cheek, as he quietly whispered in her ear.

"I know what you are, Katniss."

Katniss frowned. "What?" She asked, feigning surprise. Her hand moved slowly to her knife at her belt. "What do you mean? What I am"

"You are a terrible liar." The boy smiled against her ear and let out a warm breath against her neck, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

"I. know. what. you. are. Plainsgirl." He stated slowly, as if she were a child.

In a flash Katniss was on him, knocking him off of the rock and onto his back. She straddled him and held her knife to his throat, her hands shaking with adrenaline and fear. Rex watched from his position as Katniss licked her dry lips nervously, watching as Peeta's eyes flitted to follow her tongue's path. Her own eyes moved to his lips as he subconsciously mimicked her. Her mind suddenly flashed a picture of those lips pressing themselves against her's, warm and inviting. She jumped off of Peeta with a cry of surprise and grabbed for her bow, immediately reaching for an arrow. Rex stood up now, his eyes cautiously analyzing the scene. Katniss watched the dog warily before turning back to Peeta.

"Let me go home," she demanded, knocking the arrow. She was unable to hide the blush creeping across her face and was thankful for the shadows that hid her face from him. Darn it! She was only thirteen. She shouldn't be thinking of kissing boys.

Peeta laid on his back and turned his head, grinning up at her. "Who said I was keeping you here?" He asked, rolling his eyes and chuckling, turning back to look up at the night sky. "You could have taken off while I was getting food or washing but you didn't. Did you?" He asked, smirking.

Katniss stared at him. That was true. He never told her she had to stay. He had simply invited her to follow. Suddenly, she was on her back and gasping for breath as a weight pressed down on her. The bow was yanked from her hands and they were raised above her head. Rex returned his attention to his meal and collapsed on his side by the fire, basking in its warmth as he gnawed on the bone.

"Now, relax will you?" Peeta said leaning back on top of her. He got off of her and tossed the bow away. "How about we make a deal?" He asked sitting next to his dog.

Katniss sat up cross legged and glared up at him. "What kind of deal?" She muttered darkly.

She felt like Peeta genuinely enjoyed pissing her off because he grinned again. "One that is definitely in my favor."

Katniss' glare turned murderous. "Fine," she spat. Her arms crossing again. "What do you want?"

Peeta smiled, brushing his blonde hair from his eyes. "I want to teach you how to hunt in exchange for showing you the way out of here."

Katniss' jaw dropped. "No!" She shouted instantly, turning away from him so her back was to him. 'How could he even think of that!' Her temper quickly rose and so did her volume. "We're already breaking the rules by talking, stupid, and you want to teach me how to hunt? Besides I know how to hunt already," she said crossing her arms and scowling at the fire.

His smile just got wider. "Okay, then. You could kiss me," he teased.

The blush instantly spread across her face as she spun around glaring at him menacingly. "No!"

He grinned at her and her stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. "Just kidding. Then how about . . ." He paused to think. His blue eyes lit up and he smiled. "I teach you how to use a bow."

She grinned at him. "Hah! I already know how to use a bow!" She exclaimed, smirking triumphantly.

The boy laughed loudly. "You were holding it upside down," he told her.

Katniss' mood quickly changed and she felt her anger boiling over. "I hate you!" She shouted, her voice echoing throughout the silent woods. Now that the gates had been opened a flood of pent up emotions exploded. "I hate you, I hate your People, and I hate that you're making a deal with me!" Tears of frustration slowly dripped down her face.

Katniss watched as the boy's blue eyes became guarded before he gave her a small sad smile.

"Well, I like you," Peeta said quietly. He stood up, still smiling, and pointed into the woods. "There's a pond over there where you can wash yourself," he said, walking towards the cave. "I'm going to get some sleep. We'll get up early tomorrow so you'll be back on the plains by noon. Come on, Rex." The dog gave Katniss a long look before dutifully followed Peeta into the cave.

Katniss calmed herself before she made her way to the small pond and slowly stripped herself of her clothing, stepping into the cold water. It had been a two weeks since she had last washed and she was filthy. Often the only times any Plainspeople washed were when they encountered a river or lake and that was only after they had refilled all their water skins. She sat deep in thought before scrubbing herself clean. Katniss squeezed the water out of her hair before coming to a stop outside the entrance to the cave.

She swallowed nervously and hopped in place. 'Just for tonight," she decided again. Then she'd leave after Peeta taught her how to hunt. Yeah. That's what she'd do.

She walked into the cave, brushing past the deer hide flap that covered it, and took off her moccasins. She blindly reached in front of her and patted down, feeling for a place for her. Peeta mumbled something under his breath and grabbed her hand. He scooted over and patted the place he had just been occupying. Katniss sighed and crawled next to him. The heat from his hand remaining long after his touch was gone. Peeta pulled the blanket over them and sighed deeply.

"It get's cold at night," he slurred sleepily.

"Thanks," Katniss whispered, turning towards him. She could just make out Peeta's blonde hair from the flickering firelight that entered the cave.

"Peeta?" She whispered.

"Hmm?"

Can we go hunting tomorrow?"

"Sure, tomorrow," he yawned.

The sound of Peeta's breathing evened out and she knew he was asleep. She closed her eyes and sighed quietly. Katniss had so many questions she wanted to ask him. 'Why was he out here alone? Why did he make a deal with her? How will he teach he to hunt in one day? Would he keep his promises?' Katniss forced herself to relax and closed her eyes. She pulled the blanket tightly around herself and smiled, inhaling the cool night air. She thought of the image of Peeta kissing her and smiled bashfully, covering her face with the fur 0blanket. She had listened to Delly and Glimmer giggle about the cute boys in their tribe and their first kisses and it had been immensely awkward. Katniss had never even thought of kissing a boy until Peeta showed up out of the blue. She shook her head. "No boys,' she told herself. 'They only complicate things.'

Katniss didn't realize it but she smiled again as the darkness overtook her.

* * *

**So, yeah, like I said not very impressive at all. I found it incredibly hard to make Katniss dislike Peeta yet feel attracted to him at the same time so I just got it over with. Please leave a review if you have any ideas on how to make this chapter better or shoot me a pm. So, like I said, after this piece of crappolla it will hopefully get better. Next chapter's their hunt and Katniss' return home which will be posted next week. I'm 97% certain of it unless something comes up. Thanks for reading once again and leave a review if you have the time. It would be most appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3: Reborn, Spring

The sound of birds singing woke Katniss the next morning. She slowly stretched her arms and legs out, sighing contently as her spine cracked. She turned to roll over onto her stomach only to feel something holding her tightly around the waist, warmth flowing through the bare skin her shirt wasn't covering. She groaned and shoved it away. It pulled her closer. 'What the heck?' She thought. She turned around and opened her eyes. A mop of blonde hair obscured her vision and she patted it fondly.

"Prim, let go," she slurred.

"Who's Prim?" A sleepy voice asked. "Katniss!"

The arms around her quickly loosened and pulled away leaving her cold. She covered her face in embarrassment as she blushed, last night's events rushing back to her. 'Peeta,' she thought, mortified. How did she confuse him for Prim? She heard the sound of him shuffling around before he cleared his throat. She cautiously opened an eye to see him sitting cross legged next to her, smiling again.

She couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face and then she laughed, quietly at first and then increasing in volume until her sides shook. Peeta's laughter soon joined her's and they laughed until tears rolled down their faces. Finally, with one last giggle, Katniss looked up at Peeta, her breath hitching when she saw the intensity he was watching her with.

She cleared her throat, blushing furiously. "So, are we going hunting today?" She asked.

Peeta nodded and stood up. "Yup, as soon as you're ready," he said, brushing past the deer hide opening as a rush of cool air entering the cave.

Katniss stood up and bounced giddily on her feet for a second. She was so ready to learn how to hunt. She walked to the entrance of the hut and stepped outside into the cool morning air, smiling as Rex followed on her heels. Katniss sat on the rocks as Peeta quickly restarted the smoking logs from last night. Peeta walked to the pond and returned with an iron pot filled with water. He made a thin broth for breakfast and Katniss eagerly sipped it down as he handed her a chunk of bread, which she eagerly took a bite into.

Katniss moaned as the flavors burst across her taste buds. She quickly swallowed the first bite and took another, moaning again as it filled her mouth with more delectable flavors. The pieces quickly melted in her mouth. Katniss watched over the plains as she devoured the hearty bread, full of nuts and different grains. She dipped it into the broth and smiled widely as warmth filled her belly. "It's amazing," she managed to squeak out. Peeta smiled brightly.

They finished eating soon after. Katniss was eager to get going but Peeta insisted on teaching her how to use her bow. He showed Katniss the stance and how to hold the bow correctly. She watched as Peeta's arms pulled the string back slowly and then released it with a 'twang.' Her eyes followed the arrow as it whistled through the air and thudded into a tree fifty feet away. Peeta turned and smiled at her.

"Did you get that?" He asked.

Katniss nodded. "Yep," she said confidently, taking her stance near Peeta.

She looked down at her feet. 'Shoulder width apart,' she thought. 'Back straight. Fingers by my mouth.' She held her stance and looked at Peeta for confirmation. He nodded and walked behind her. Katniss could feel his warm breath on her neck and his front against her back as he gave her tips and repositioned her arms. He wrapped his arms around her as his warm hands enveloped hers. She fought against the dark red blush that radiated warmth from her chest and neck.

He released a breath against her neck and she shivered excitedly. "Okay. Now, shoot." He breathed almost inaudibly.

Katniss released the arrow and it sped towards the tree, penetrating it with a thud. She jumped and whooped as Peeta laughed.

"You're a natural," he said proudly. "Again."

Katniss spent the next hour firing arrows. Archery came as easily as breathing for her and she quickly began to fall in love with the smooth, well used bow. The dark wood had always entranced her but now that she learned how to use it she was going to use it every chance she could. She focused on the rhythmic thumping of arrows penetrating wood.

She turned to Peeta as he called out her name. She turns to find the boy and his dog standing just outside the forest. "Let's head out," he yelled.

Katniss nodded. "Okay," she called out, picking up her quiver and slinging it around her back. "Coming!"

* * *

She sighed and he turned to glare at her, again.

"What?" He asked.

"Let's take a break," Katniss whined.

Peeta looked at her as Rex calmly sat down on his haunches. "Katniss, really?"

She crossed her arms and frowned. "Yes, really. Let's take a break," she suggested hopefully. "We've been walking for an hour and still haven't even seen anything."

Peeta sighed. "That's because you keep making noise. You need to quiet down."

Katniss scowled and crossed her arms angrily. "No, I don't! I'm quieter than you are!"

Peeta sighed again and shook his head, his relaxed smile returning. "Fine, five minutes," he said. They sat down and Katniss sighed heavily, scratching Rex's head as he laid it onto her lap. Peeta laughed. "You need to stop being so tense," he whispered. "Relax and just feel," he told her quietly.

Katniss nodded and released a long breath. 'Relax,' she told her self. She sighed quietly as she poured the contents of her water container over her head. The sound of rustling trees caught her attention. She looked up to see three orange creatures looking down at her. They looked like small people but were covered in short, fuzzy orange hair. They tilted their heads and stared at her curiously. Peeta followed her gaze to the tree tops.

"Kudoto (coo-doe-toe) monkeys," he murmured. "They're more dangerous than they look. Be careful around them."

The monkeys chattered loudly before swinging off into the trees. Peeta stared after them, smiling. He sighed and scanned the tree tops before turning to Katniss with a smile. He pointed up above him.

"Let's practice climbing," He said, huffing quietly as he reached into the branches and pulled himself up. Katniss watched as Peeta quickly wound his way up its branches until he was thirty feet above the ground. He looked down at her expectantly as he sat on a large branch.

Katniss let out a breath of air as she hesitantly approached the tree. She had never really even seen trees on the plain, at least none as tall as these. Her nimble fingers pulled her up one branch at a time, hand over hand. She blinked and suddenly she was hanging fifteen feet off the ground. She felt a soft breeze blow past her and she laughed, feeling full of life. Katniss liked how the rough bark felt under her hands as she climbed higher and higher. The height didn't scare her. No, it made her even more excited. She couldn't wait to reach the top. Peeta held out his hand and she reached for it. He helped her up and they climbed even higher into the branches.

They reached the top of the tree some fifty feet up and sat calmly, leaning against one another. This was the first time Katniss had truly gotten a view of the blue sky since leaving camp earlier that morning. A gust of wind blew against them and she jumped, clutching onto Peeta's arm tightly. Peeta laughed, his voice drowned out by the rustling of the trees.

Peeta smiled down at her. "I got you," he whispered.

Katniss smiled. "I know," she whispered back. The height made her feel free, exhilarated her. She felt as if she could reach out and grab the sky. A flock of small songbirds flew above them, whistling sweetly to one another "This is amazing," she whispered.

Peeta's eyes lit up. "Yeah. It is," he said, breathlessly, his sapphire eyes scanning the ground before them. "Let's go. We need to keep moving," he whispered, squeezing her arm affectionately before moving to climb back down the tree.

Katniss followed after him as they slowly descended from the tree. They once again landed on solid ground and moved off into the brush with Rex leading the way. Peeta slunk through the trees gracefully as Katniss followed after him. She felt much more relaxed than she had felt earlier. Peeta led her to a small babbling stream and they stopped again to refill their water skins and wash off the sweat and dirt from their traveling.

Katniss leaned back onto her heels as she put the cork back into her water skin. The sound of rustling branches caused her to look up as a beautiful doe appeared from the bush. It slowly approached her and it leaned down to sip from the trickling stream. Now was her chance! Her right hand slowly moved to her back as she plucked an arrow from her quiver. She slowly, patiently drew the arrow back and released a quiet breath.

Katniss' fingers twitched eagerly when Peeta silently appeared at her side. His hand grasped the shaft of the arrow right behind the head and he raised a finger to his lips, pointing to the deer. Her grey eyes studied the deer carefully as it continued to drink its fill. The doe shifted slightly and Katniss gasped quietly.

It was pregnant, plump with the burden of an unborn child and she cringed at her intended action. Suddenly, the deer's ears twitched and swiveled as its eyes flickered from left to right. She darted away into the underbrush as quickly as she had come. Katniss turned to Peeta.

He smiled at her and removed his hand. "Spring is a time of rebirth," he whispered. "New life is given to those that have survived the harshness of winter. It's a lesson every kid learns." He looked around quickly before moving away. "Let's keep moving."

Katniss followed after him. "Spring is a time of rebirth," she whispered to herself.

* * *

She wasn't paying attention when Peeta stopped her suddenly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her down so that they were crouching. He held a finger to his lips and pointed to a small mound of brown pellets that dotted the ground.

"Rabbits," he whispered,

Katniss copied him as he slowly drew an arrow from his quiver and knocked it to his bow. They moved slowly and silently through the low grass. Peeta stopped near a tree and pulled down a branch. The rabbit hung limply, suspended by he noose around its neck. Peeta quickly removed it and restrung the snare.

They had just decided to keep moving when a grey tuft of hair appeared in front of them. Katniss saw everything in slow motion. Her hands moved of their own accord and she looked down at her hands. They were shaking with adrenaline. She looked back to the rabbit to find her arrow piercing it. Peeta's black feathered arrow through the neck, her white feathered arrow through the eye.

She laughed and jumped onto Peeta, hugging him tightly. Katniss thanked him over and over again as he laughed. Peeta took the rabbit and removed the arrows before turning to Katniss. He produced an elegant belt for her and smiled widely. It was a light brown with beautiful multicolored beads and feathers dangling from it.

"A special belt for hunting is given to each boy and girl when they make their first kill," he said proudly, tying the belt around Katniss' waist. "This one was mine but you definitely deserve it more."

Katniss smiled widely as Peeta tied the rabbit to her belt. The weight reassuring her that this was real. That she had shot her first animal. That she could save her family.

* * *

The squirrels chattered noisily above her as she looked back to Peeta. He smiled and nodded so she drew the arrow back slowly. Katniss calmed herself and released the arrow, crying out excitedly as the squirrel plummeted from the tree. Rex ran up to it and picked it up in his strong jaws, bringing it back to her. She patted him thankfully before tying it to her waist.

Peeta whistled quietly. "Straight through the eye again. Perfect," he said proudly, moving to stand next to her.

Katniss blushed a deep red but couldn't hide her smile. "Thanks, but it's all thanks to you."

Peeta shook his head. This again. "Nope, it was all you."

Katniss shook her head. He would never accept that it was all because of him. "Let's head back now," she suggested happily. "It's almost midday."

Peeta nodded. "Alright," he whistled loudly. "Let's go, Rex!"

By the time they had stepped back onto the ledge overlooking the meadow the first stars had begun to appear in the sky, night was still falling early. Katniss quietly skinned the squirrels and rabbits as Peeta hauled logs from the woods and quickly started a fire. Two squirrels were set on the spit and they chatted quietly while it cooked. Peeta was talking about something when he mentioned something about his home as he handed her the first squirrel.

"How come you never talk about your family?" Katniss blurted out, quickly covering her mouth with her hands embarrasedly.

Peeta looked at her wide-eyed. "Well, you never asked," he said.

Katniss blinked. "Oh."

Peeta smiled cheerfully. "And it's not like you talk about yours either."

Katniss faces got even redder, if that was possible. She laughed nervously and looked into the fire. "Yeah, I guess so," she mumbled quietly.

Peeta chuckled as she twiddled her thumbs embarrassingly. "So, tell me." He said.

And, Katniss told him. She told him about her younger sister, Primrose, and how she was as sweet as honey and always cheerful. She told him about her mother and her father and how in love they were with each other. She told him about the places she had traveled to and the people she had met while there. She spoke about her tribe and how they traveled in a circle every year, following the herds of game on their annual migrations.

As the sun vanished behind the horizon Peeta began his story. He talked about his younger twin brothers, Wheaton and Rye, and about his parents. He told her about his tribe and how they only moved every few years, when the soil grew dry and hard from their farming. Then, they would move to a different part of the forest and rebuild their small communities. Katniss learned about all the animals that lived in the forest, from those high in the trees to those that burrowed underground. She learned about the places where spirits dwelled and about the mysteries the thick forests hid.

As he finished speaking the night sky lit up and beautiful auroras flitted beautifully through the sky. The colors mixed and matched as they tumbled together in brilliant swirls. The People believed that the annual auroras were the spirits that had long since passed and that it was Sitmi who would allow them a brief glimpse of the Earth they had once inhabited. It was said that the auroras could be seen from any where . . . but here, high above the plains, Katniss was awed. She felt at peace with herself. She fell asleep that night listening to the quiet lullaby of Peeta's flute.

* * *

The sound of Rex barking excitedly woke Katniss the next morning. She opened one eye lazily and looked around. Early morning light filtered in through the half open flap of the cave. Peeta's arms were once again folded around her and she blushed, the warmth spreading from her chest to her face and throughout her body. She turned around and tried in vain to remove his arms.

She poked his forehead and he groaned. "Peeta," she whispered.

He twitched and opened his eyes lazily. "Hey," he mumbled.

She smiled and poked his forehead again. "Let go of me," she said.

Peeta blinked. "Oh, sorry," he said, slowly pulling away from her and stretching his arms.

Katniss sat up and followed after him as they got ready for the day. They had decided that it would be best if she left this morning before her tribe moved on. Katniss walked over to the ledge to look over the meadow once more when she paused.

"Peeta?" She called.

He quickly popped up beside her. "Yeah?" he asked.

She pointed to the meadow which had been green with grass last night and had turned bright yellow over night.

Peeta turned and smiled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him as he quickly made his way down to the meadow. He fell to his knees and plucked a plant from the ground.

"Dandelions!"

He smiled as he turned towards her. "Spring has come when the dandelion rises," he stated happily, collapsing onto the bed of yellow. "The legends say that the first meal the People had ever eaten were the leaves of the dandelion plant."

He held it out to Katniss and she carefully took it. It was pretty she thought but it wasn't dazzling nor did it smell very good. 'It is soft though,' she thought, tucking it behind her ear. She laid down next to Peeta and smiled as the yellow clouded her vision. She looked up at Rex's bark to see him running through the meadow happily. She laughed with Peeta at the dog's giddiness. They basked in the morning sun and watched the clouds go by as they sat on the bed of dandelions.

Finally, they stood up and Peeta made a morning meal of dandelion salads just like the first People ate. They left camp soon after and departed down the mountain. They chatted as they walked and Peeta stopped near a patch of dark berries. He picked a handful and carefully wrapped it in a piece of cloth before tucking it into his pack.

As they neared the end of the treeline he stopped and turned around. Peeta tied three squirrels around Katniss' waist for her family and she smiled at his kindness. He gently handed her the berries in their cloth sack.

"These are nightlock," he warned, picking one up between his fingers. "They're very poisonous so don't eat them. They're for your father."

Katniss looked at them, puzzled. "Why? They're poisonous, right?"

Peeta nodded. "Yeah, but it's also very special. It only takes one drop of the juices to kill a person but if you use it right it's almost magic." He poked one with an arrow tip, the dark juices oozing onto the arrowhead. "We use it to hunt," he explained. "It travels quickly and paralyzes the animal but after a few minutes it dissolves and becomes safe to eat."

He took some of the dark purple juices and spread it out onto his arm. "It heals sickness in the body. All you have to do is rub it on his skin everyday and his infections should heal. These should last you a month but that's all the time it should take. But remember! Don't let anyone eat it," Peeta warned her again.

Katniss nodded and took the small bag tying it around her waist securely. She turned to thank the boy when a fluttering of wings caught her attention and she looked up.

"Oh!" She cried.

The same little black bird that had led her to Peeta peered down at her curiously. Peeta looked up and gasped before whistling quietly to it. The bird whistled back in kind and Peeta held out his hands. The little bird landed silently onto his hand and chirped. Peeta's smile grew even wider as he stroked the dark feathers.

He turned to Katniss, his blue eyes shining. "This is a mockingjay," he whispered excitedly. He cooed softly to it again. "This is the first one I've ever seen."

"Wow," Katniss whispered, awed. "I didn't even know it was a mockingjay."

In the old myths and legends it was told that Sitmi created a bird as his gift to the People. It was called the mockingjay and was a symbol of his love for life, even if he was the god who oversaw the souls of the dead. The stories say that the mockingjays lived at the summit of the tallest mountains, so close to the auroras that they could pass in between the worlds of the living and the dead. They were rarely seen but it was said that they sometimes chose the shaman for the people, especially when there were difficult times and a decision could not be reached. The last sighting had been nearly twenty-five years ago when a trade argument erupted between two large cities of the People.

"Yeah, the legends say that they can live as long as people and that they can talk."

Katniss turned to the tiny bird and smiled brightly. "Hi," she whispered.

The bird's round green eyes stared at her. "H- Hi," it chirped.

Katniss and Peeta laughed. Rex pawed at their feet before dropping to the floor. Katniss patted his head affectionately before turning back to the bird. She looked up to find Peeta staring at her with a small smile.

"What?" She asked, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. She held out her arm and the bird hopped onto it. She brushed its soft feathers.

Peeta blushed. "Mockingjays are almost never seen . . . but when they are . . . it means great happiness will come."

Katniss smiled even more. "I know! Amazing, right?" She asked as the bird took off into the trees.

Peeta nodded. "But there's also another special meaning," he whispered almost inaudibly, his gaze following it as it disappeared.

Katniss bounced excitedly on her feet. "What? Tell me!"

Peeta blushed a dark red. "Oh. Uh." He looked down at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Mockingjays are . . . a . . .um."

Katniss frowned. "What, Peeta?" Spit it out!" She cried impatiently.

"They're a sign of eternal love!" Peeta blurted out, immediately covering his mouth with his hand.

Katniss blushed crimson at the revelation. "Oh," she whispered. "I forgot about that?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Peeta smiled. "Yeah."

Katniss smiled back at him. She threw her arms around Peeta and hugged him tightly. "Thanks for everything, Peeta." She murmured into his shirt.

He hugged her back just as tight. "You're welcome. Now, go."

She pulled away and bent down to pet Rex, who whined at being forgotten. She shook his head, fondly. "I'll miss you too, Boy," she said. She looked back up to Peeta with her silver eyes. "Okay, then. I guess this is good bye?"

Peeta smiled. "Yeah, but I think we'll see each other again. Sometime."

She nodded before turning around lightly and crossing back into the open plains. Katniss turned around on last time and waved. Peeta grinned at her before he pulled down his mask and melting back into the forest. Rex followed after him obediently, running to catch up with the boy. Katniss smiled as she turned back to the plains. She took the dandelion from behind her ear and smiled widely.

Spring is a time of rebirth . . . and Katniss Everdeen had been reborn.

* * *

**Yo! Thanks for reading this chapter. I have a lot of things going on this week so I don't know if I'll be able to post next Sunday. I'm a senior in high school and I need to apply for scholarships and those kind of things. Anyways, leave a review if you liked it and give me some feedback. It'd be much appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4: Return of the Father, Summer

**Hey, Ya'll. Wazzup? So here's chapter four of A Tale of Two Lovers. Honestly I want to shoot myself. It's been over a month since my last post and I just couldn't muster up the effort to type this up. I wasn't motivated at all. I started typing this chapter right after I posted chapter three but then life got busy and I just didn't feel like writing anything. All I could come up with were one or two paragraphs or even sentences, at a time. I promise I'll make it up to you guys. Oh, yeah, Buttercup became a girl and turned into a horse. No biggie.**

* * *

_"Aww, that's so sad," Alyssum said, pouting angrily. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself and Rowan, who nodded in agreement, his eyes drooping lazily._

_ "Yeah, so sad," he repeated._

_ Their grandmother laughed quietly, her voice interrupting the chorus of insects outside. She held her hands out to the fire and warmed them. She smiled kindly at the two children. "But you've heard this story before, my darlings," she said._

_ Alyssum sighed sadly. "But it's still sad," she murmured. She reached over to her side and picked up a pillow which she laid down next to Rowan. The two children laid down on it and covered themselves with the blanket again._

_ Rowan yawned loudly and tiredly rubbed his eyes. "More," he demanded, slamming his hands on the ground and thrashing his feet. "More!"_

_ The old woman laughed loudly and shushed the boy. "Okay. Okay. Shh. Let's see, where were we, Alyssum?"_

_ Alyss thought for a second. "Um . . . Oh! Katniss was going home," she squeaked._

_ Great Grandmother smiled down at her. "Oh, yes, I remember now. Let's see. Where to start, where to start? Ah, yes."_

* * *

Her feet were silent against the soft dirt earth as she walked along. She passed many horse drawn wagons as she walked, the morning light just rising. The owners of the wagons carefully groomed the ponies that pulled them. The wagons were used to move a family's possessions when they were traveling and the ponies were precious animals. She paused to brush a stray strand of brown hair from her face and look over her shoulder once before entering a tent on the outskirts of the camp.

The tent itself was made of kanowou (con-oh-woo) skin. The kanowou were gentle giants of the plains. They were large mammoth-like creatures that feasted on the plentiful prairie grass and low growing shrubbery. Their long tusks grew to over ten feet long, which they used to shovel under the snow while foraging. They grew to heights of fifteen feet and traveled in large herds consisting of females and calves. Their massive trunks were powerful enough to pull trees out of the ground to reach the delicate leaves on top. The beams for the tent were made from the tusks of the kanowou, four in each corner with the ends meeting in the middle.

Katniss quietly set the sack down and pulled two logs from it, placing them in the fire pit at the center of the hut. She watched as the dried wood caught fire and began to burn. She stared into it and watched as the flames flickered and licked their way up the logs.

Katniss hummed quietly to herself as she poured the last of the nightlock berries into her hand. She placed them into a bowl and carefully removed each berry's skin before silently crushing them with a smooth, round stone, expelling the juices from the fruit. The dark purple liquid pooled at the bottom of the bowl as Katniss removed the remains of the berries. She tossed them into a garbage pit in the corner of their hut and moved back to the table, picking up the bowl and moving to the bed in the corner of the hut.

Alder Everdeen was a medium height man in his early thirty's. He had short trimmed brown hair and silver grey eyes like his eldest daughter. His handsome face often sported a glowing smile that made him a well loved individual among his tribe. However, the injury from the arrow to his side during the winter had left him dangerously close to death. He was pale and had lost a dangerous amount of weight. He coughed feebly under the thick fur blankets.

Katniss sat down next to the bed and carefully swirled the dark liquid in the bowl before pulling back the blankets covering him. She dipped two slender fingers into the purple juices and moved them around, coating her fingertips in the liquid. Katniss gently lathered the liquid onto her father's side, which quickly absorbed the nightlock juices. Mr. Everdeen coughed loudly and grunted in pain as the purple liquid entered his body. He groaned softly before his breathing returned to normal and he passed into a deep slumber.

The entrance to the hut opened and a young girl bounced in, Primrose Everdeen, Katniss' little sister. Unlike her older sister, Primrose took after their mother in appearance. She had bright blue eyes and long blonde hair with beautiful pale skin. The exact opposite of her older sibling. Primrose skipped over to Katniss and peered over her arm.

"What are you doing?" The ten year old asked curiously, bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Nothing. Just putting medicine on Daddy."

Prim wrinkled her nose. Just like the rest of her tribe Prim and their mother had a deep mistrust of anything that came from the forest. The nightlock berries had been buried in a carefully wrapped bag, hidden inside a box inside one of the family's burlap sacs for nearly a month before she had gotten the chance to use them. Katniss' mother had refused to use them until Mr. Everdeen's condition had gotten dramatically worse. Almost overnight, he had developed a terrible cough and constant seizing. Mrs. Everdeen had gone into shock and Katniss had taken her father's health into her own hands. She had frantically dug through her things, scattering their possessions on the ground as she triumphantly found the box. Her tiny hands had shaken when she had first frantically begun lathering his side in the berry juices.

Mr. Everdeen had healed slowly after that first week. It was midsummer now and he could stomach food and keep it down, though he was still weak and pale. His body had already consumed any and all fats in it and had begun to devour his muscles as well so he still slept most of the day but that was good. It was time that meant he was recovering. His hair had grown longer but Mrs. Everdeen had trimmed it down to its original length, just like her husband liked and he was looking more like the father Katniss remembered every day.

Prim quietly tiptoed over to their father and bent down, giving him a featherlight kiss on his forehead. "Love you, Daddy," she whispered.

Then Prim skipped out of the hut and over to the post their horses were tied to. They had two horses, Lady and Buttercup, who pulled their little wagon along. Lady was a beautiful grey with white spots along her hind quarters. She was a very calm and obedient horse. Buttercup was a light tannish color with a dark mane. She was a little more frisky than Lady but both absolutely adored Prim, almost as much as she adored them.

Katniss listened as Prim quietly whispered to the horses. The horses snorted at something she said, making Prim giggle, and Katniss smiled as she finished applying the ointment. She stood up and tossed the remains of the nightlock away in a pit at a corner of the hut before pulling the blanket back over her father.

The entrance of the hut opened again and a beautiful middle age woman stood in the door way. Mrs. Everdeen had long blonde hair and calm blue eyes with matching pale skin, much like Primrose. She had high cheek bones and radiated a quiet confidence. Mrs. Everdeen set down her basket of vegetables as she walked over to Katniss.

"How is he?" She asked.

Katniss frowned. "Better, I guess."

Katniss had still not forgiven her mother for abandoning them to fend for themselves that winter. A mother was supposed to keep the family together, not let it shatter into pieces. The family of four had only survived through the spring because Katniss had been invited on the hunts with the men and she let her mother know it. The summer crops had given Katniss a brief rest from hunting as they tended the small garden outside the hut.

Mrs. Everdeen smiled down at Katniss and gently cupped her face. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "It's a good thing you found those berries."

Katniss forced a smile. "Thanks, Mom," she said.

Mrs. Everdeen bent down and pecked Mr. Everdeen on the cheek before walking back to her basket of vegetables and picking them up, propping it up against her waist.

"Is vegetable soup okay for dinner?"

Katniss nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."

She turned and walked out of the hut, walking over to a wagon parked next to it. Katniss reached into it and pulled out a satchel, which she dug into, before pulling out an old book. School for the People was basic and taught at home or in school buildings, for those who lived in a town. They studied their history and respective cultures, as well as math, and science. Geography was different among the different tribes, depending on where they lived and where they decided their boundaries were. The People all used the same coins as currency but transactions often times would end in bartering for low cost goods. Language among the People was also the same, varying only in certain accents.

She sat down in the back of the wagon and quietly read to herself until two blonde girls appeared next to her.

"Hi, Katniss!"

Katniss smiled. "Hey! What's up?"

The two Cartwrights looked at one another. Glimmer was tall and slim, with big blue eyes and long hair. She was a year older than Katniss and very much the same; quick to anger but a bit more social. Delilah was the other. Delly, as she liked to be called, was Glimmer's younger cousin. She had short hair, down just past her shoulder and was shorter but had a bigger bust. She was much more social than both Glimmer and Katniss and was very optimistic and cheerful. Both had the bright blue eyes and blonde hair that was uncommon among their tribe.

"Nothing," the two blondes said simultaneously. "Just checking up on you."

Katniss smiled. "You know we're the same age right? I'm not a little kid you two have to babysit."

"Alright, geez," Glimmer said, walking away. "I have things to do anyway."

Delly and Katniss laughed as her figure disappeared among the tents. Both knowing she was probably going to see Marvel, her boyfriend. "What about you?" Katniss asked.

Delly shrugged. "I have time," she said, pulling herself into the wagon and plopping down next to Katniss and reaching for her book, snatching it from Katniss' hand. "Ooo, I love this book it's so romantic," she gushed.

Katniss wrinkled her nose in disgust. Her mother was forcing her to read the book as part of her learning. It wasn't that she didn't like romance, she just thought it was kind of fake. No one ever falls in love that quickly and no story should ever have such a perfect ending. She listened as Delly began to read the book aloud. Her voice getting quieter and slower as the heat of the noon sun pressing down on Katniss. Her eyes slowly drooped until all she saw was black and she could no longer hear Delly's voice.

* * *

The wagon shook slightly, waking Katniss from her nap. She looked up to find a pair of grey eyes staring down at her. Katniss turned and found that Delly had also fallen asleep. That usually happened during their reading sessions anyway. She looked back to the boy who towered above her.

"Working hard aren't you?" He asked.

Katniss smacked him in the arm and sat up, stretching and sighing as her back cracked. "Go away, Gale," she said smiling.

Gale Hawthorne was her best friend. A boy of sixteen years, only two years Katniss' senior, the two children were like siblings. The two shared the dark hair and grey eyes that were common among their tribe. Gale was also tall for his age, 6' 2". He was the oldest in the Hawthorne clan and the most desirable husband among their people. Gale and Katniss were together a lot, now that she was allowed to hunt.

Gale grinned down at her. "Come on, the men are heading out." He held out his hand and pulled Katniss to her feet.

"Okay," she said, running to her hut and throwing open the flap. She ran over to her father's bedside and picked up her bow, slinging the quiver onto her back.

"Going hunting," she said to her mother, bending down to kiss her father on the forehead. She walked up to Mrs. Everdeen and pecked her cheek. "Bye, Momma."

Mrs. Everdeen smiled at her sadly. "Be safe, Katniss."

Katniss threw a hand up, trying to be reassuring, "Yeah, I will."

She rushed out of the tent and paused to tell Prim she was leaving before running to the Hawthorne's tent. She arrived just in time to catch Gale and his father entering their hut. Gale's younger siblings were playing on the ground in front of their wagon; his younger brothers: Rory, ten, and Vick, five, were playing with marbles on the ground when Katniss came up to them. She crouched down next to Vick.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Vick looked up at her before expertly flicking his marble into one of Rory's and knocking it out of the way. "We're playing marbles, Katniss. See?" He said matter of factly.

Katniss smiled. "Oh, of course. Duh," she said, laughing.

She stood up and turned when she heard the flap opening. A tall pretty brunette woman smiled at her, a tiny grey eyed baby girl balanced on her hip. The baby waved at Katniss and babbled as she approached the woman.

"Hello, Hazel," she said, hugging the older woman. She smiled down at the infant. "Hi, Posy."

Posy gave a great squeal of laughter and shook her fists at Katniss, causing her to give a musical laugh. Hazel Hawthorne laughed as well and poked Katniss in the side. Katniss cried out and danced away laughing. Hazelle was much more relaxed and carefree than Mrs. Everdeen. Katniss preferred talking to her about her problems than her own mother.

"Hello, Katniss. It's been some time since we last talked."

Katniss nodded, smiling. "Yeah, life's been busy," she said shrugging.

Hazelle gave a loud hoot of laughter. "Busy, huh? You don't have four dirty boys and a drooling baby to take care of!"

Katniss chuckled. This was what Katniss loved about Hazelle, her great sense of humor. Hazelle suddenly grew silent and her eyes grew serious.

"Spin around for me a few times, will you?"

Katniss blinked. "Oh, uh, sure."

She slowly spun around in a circle and then again. It was on her third rotation that she heard a resounding "smack" and felt a bright hot pain in her bottom. She cried out, spinning around and toppling onto the ground as Hazelle roared with laughter. Vick and Rory looked up from their game of marbles and giggled at the sight of Katniss.

"Girl, you grew some curves!" Hazelle said, jiggling the baby in her arms.

Katniss stood up frowning and looked down at herself. Well, she was fourteen now but she didn't feel any different. She didn't have a big chest like Delly nor did she have long, slim legs like Glimmer. She felt the same as always, like a Katniss.

She was saved from further embarrassment when the two oldest male Hawthornes appeared. The two seemed to have heard the last comment because they laughed loudly. Daniel Hawthorne was a serious man and one of her father's closest friends. He had the same brown hair, grey eyes seam look as most of their tribe, although he kept his hair long and in a pony tail. Mr. Hawthorne and Gale had been Katniss' chief supplier of meat during the winter and she aimed to repay them for their kindness and from the looks of it, she would.

"Hello, Katniss," Mr. Hawthorne said, his grey eyes twinkling. "How's you father?"

Katniss smiled a small smile. "He's doing better."

Mr. Hawthorne nodded. "Well, we'd best be off," he said, leaning down to kiss Hazel on the cheek.

* * *

It was evening by the time the three returned to camp with their kill, a plainsdeer shot by Mr. Hawthorne. They dropped Katniss off first, leaving two legs for her to smoke into jerky. She thanked them before entering the hut. Prim and Mrs. Everdeen stood in front of the table, smiling widely, their blue eyes red and twinkling with joy.

Katniss paused. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing," Prim said, bouncing away.

Mrs. Everdeen smiled and moved away. At the table sat a middle aged man of medium height. He had short brown hair and silvery grey eyes. He held a spoon in his hand and a broth sat in front of him. Tears began to dampen Katniss vision and the bow slipped from her fingers, clattering as it hit the ground.

"Papa?"

* * *

**Yo! Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Chapter 5: Raiders, Autumn

**Herro, everybody. How are you today? Here is chapter 5 of A Tale of Two Lovers and I hope you enjoy it. The story's still kind of slow right now but hopefully it'll speed up soon.**

* * *

Katniss hummed softly to herself as she carefully braided her hair. She stood up and slid out of her night clothes, throwing on some thicker wear for the cool morning. Prim rolled over on their bed mat, peering up at Katniss tiredly through her hair.

"You're going already?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Katniss nodded, slipping into a thick sweatshirt."Yeah, we'll be back before dinner," she whispered, standing up and pulling her quiver onto her back. She kissed her mother and grabbed a sweet roll from the table.

The sun was just peeking up from the horizon when she closed the hut's door behind her, swallowing the last of the sweet roll. The cold Autumn air caused Katniss' breath to fog and she watched as the tiny cloud disappeared into nothingness. The sound of hooves turned her attention to her right, where her father was readying the horses. Katniss walked up to Lady and began to gently stroke her mane.

She smiled up at her father. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hello, Kitten."

Katniss frowned. "Dad, I'm fourteen now," she said, moving to pick up a bowl of paint. "You can't call me Kitten anymore."

Mr. Everdeen smiled as his daughter mimicked him, painting symbols of strength, luck, and courage onto the horses in dark, earth-colored dyes. Horses were valuable animals and thought of as family, for all Plainschildren were taught how to ride before they had even learned to walk. The Plainspeople were very careful to make sure their horses were in the best of conditions, to lose a horse was to lose, not only the most efficient transportation on the plains, but also a much loved friend. Painting symbols on them was believed to give them the power which the symbol stood for.

Mr. Everdeen had gained much of his weight back in the last few months and was healthy and strong again. It was late fall now and he knew that snow was bound to fall any day now. He patted Buttercup affectionately on the side and pulled her along by the reigns. Katniss finished painting Lady and followed after him. The four began a slow walk to the edge of the camp to join the rest of their hunting party. Men and boys of various ages filed amongst the tents with them as they prepared for the largest and most important hunt of the year.

All together nearly sixty males stood on the outskirts of the camp, divided into rough groups of ten. The elderly matriarch of the tribe, Grandmother Sae, walked slowly from person to person, applying a dab of ash onto each of their foreheads. Then, her old wrinkled face would smile and she would quietly murmur a blessing to the Gods before moving on to the next person. Sae arrived in front of Katniss, leaning heavily on her old walking stick, the tall plains grass reaching past her hips.

Katniss bowed slowly to Grandmother Sae, who smiled warmly at her.

"Hello, Child."

"Good morning, Grandmother," she answered.

"Indeed, it is." Grandmother Sae said, dipping her hand into the bowl of ashes that she was carrying. She took her thumb and smeared it across Katniss' forehead. "Oh, great and merciful Gods, please bring this child luck and strength for this important hunt." She smiled broadly at Katniss and patted her on the cheek adoringly. "And may the men cower before you, Great Huntress."

Katniss smiled after her as she stood with her father and the horses, waiting for the Hawthornes to join them. As the two older men talked, Gale, Rory, and Katniss readied themselves and their horses for the hunt.

"Ready for the hunt, Catnip?" Gale asked, checking his spears for any weakness in the wood or spearheads.

Katniss grinned. "I've been ready," she said, stringing her bow and checking her white feathered arrows as Rory looked over his horse.

Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Everdeen walked up to them with their horses.

"Come, we'll be joining the Cartwrights and the Marvel boy for the hunt," Mr. Hawthorne said, nodding to where the other group stood.

The two groups met and talked cheerfully as they prepared for the hunt. Marvel Lieson was a tall boy with short brown hair and piercing brown eyes. He was fifteen, a year older than Katniss, and Glimmer's husband-to-be. Marvel was hot headed and stubborn, much like Glimmer, but no one doubted his love for her. He planned to bring Glimmer and her mother to live with him and his elderly parents. They were to be wed next spring.

The oldest of the Cartwright boys, Carter, was also fifteen and his brother, Maxxie, was twelve. They were both blonde haired children like Delly but had smoky grey eyes that they had inherited from their father. Mr. Cartwright was stocky and strong, with grey eyes and brown hair from the Seam. He and Mrs. Cartwright had taken Glimmer and her mother in when his brother was trampled by a kanowou during this very same hunt last year.

"Hello, Katniss. Joining the boys today?" Mr. Cartwright boomed, his grey eyes twinkling.

Katniss nodded, smiling. "Yes, Sir. Dad says it's time to prove myself."

Mr. Cartwright laughed, clapping her on the back. "Of course, a girl amongst men must prove her place. Especially one about to enter adulthood."

Katniss smiled and nodded politely before turning away to greet the boys. Mr. Cartwright was referring to the Nengxio (neng-sho), a ceremony that all men and women participated in. At the age of fifteen all boys and girls traveled to the home of the shamans deep inside the ancient forests. The shaman lived in a stone monastery with other people who had devoted themselves and their lives to the gods. These men and women no longer had a clan or a tribe. Disputes among the people had no meaning and money had no value to them. The men and women in the monastery were charged with giving the children advice in life. Katniss knew there was another ritual but the children of the People weren't told. It was forbidden knowledge to them.

After participating in the Nengxio each boy and girl would return home. This was a time when some young people would marry and move out of their birth family's hut, like Glimmer and Marvel, although most chose to wait a few years before marriage. Girls were especially vulnerable to arranged marriages after the Nengxio. It was not uncommon for an older suitor to arrive at the family's doorstep with promises of food and clothing for a young bride. It was a harsh and cruel tradition but often times the parents had many more mouths to feed and giving one away would ensure more food for the others.

Katniss shook the thought from her mind and ushered Lady forward, muttering greetings to Marvel and the Cartwright boys. Maxxie blushed as she greeted him, mumbling a quiet 'hi' in return. Katniss smiled at the younger boy before urging Lady onward. She would not dwell on the Nenxio. Katniss knew her parents would never force her into an arranged marriage.

* * *

The hunting party had only been traveling for only a few minutes when they first heard them. Dull rumbling caused by dozens of feet that could be heard over miles of open plains, kanowou. Katniss' tribe had been tailing this herd for days now. The thunderous pounding grew louder with each passing minute as the hunters closed in.

Katniss brought Lady to a halt as the hunting party came over a hill, patting her softly on the side. The men paused as they watched the herd of mammoth-like beasts from nearly a mile away. The leader of the hunting party, an older man named Boggs, gave each group an animal, choosing the oldest and weakest at the back of the herd. The first hunting party began towards them at a slow trot, their horses neighing softly to one another.

Katniss followed her father and the others as they rode their horses forward, the last of the six groups. Boggs clapped Mr. Everdeen on the shoulder in greeting and pointed to the largest kanowou in the herd, the matriarch. She was a colossal matriarch stood twenty feet tall at her shoulders. Her long, shaggy hair was grey and her fifteen foot tusks were dull with use. She walked with slow, sure steps at the front of the herd.

"She is for you," Boggs said confidently, clapping Mr. Everdeen on the shoulder again. He nodded once to the group and trotted forward to rejoin his own hunting party.

Mr. Everdeen turned to look at his group and grinned at them. "Fear nothing," He said, his voice passionate and strong. "We'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Katniss watched as the boys and men nodded. She was awed that her father could inspire and comfort even Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Cartwright. The party started forward and Mr. Everdeen fell in behind the others with Katniss.

Katniss' heart pumped with adrenaline. Her throat dried with fear and nervousness, turning as dry as a desert. Her hands grew sweaty around the reins as she clutched them tightly

"You'll be fine."

She looked up at her father, who smiled down at her, his grey eyes serious. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Her fear disappeared. Katniss was no longer scared. She knew he would keep his promises.

* * *

They broke into a full out gallop now. Lady's strong legs pumped quickly, propelling her forward in long, quick strides. Katniss reached for an arrow as they approached the herd. The ground shook beneath their feet as they charged. She smiled and joined in as the men and boys gave loud battle cries, whooping and shouting as they waved their weapons above their head, controlling their horses with their knees. Dust rose in a cloud behind them as they raced onward.

Two of the last kanowou turned to face them, their tusks menacing and trumpeting loudly. The first two hunting parties charged into them, firing arrows and throwing spears into the large beasts. Katniss followed her father as they passed the battle, weaving in between the fleeing beasts to reach the front of the herd. She watched in horror as one man was grabbed by a kanowou and tossed away like a rag doll, landing in a pile fifty feet away.

"Focus, Katniss!" Mr. Cartwright shouted from beside her, readying his spears and riding low on his horse.

Gale struck first, slinging his spear into th matriarch's thick hide. She bellowed angrily and stopped, turning around as his horse ran past. Her muscular trunk swung at Rory and Mr. Hawthorne as they flew past, heaving spears into her side. The old matriarch roared again, rearing up onto her hind legs and kicking her forelegs. She crashed to the ground causing it to quake as Lady galloped past. Katniss fired her first arrow which was quickly followed by a second. The kanowou trumpeted and shook the arrows from herself while also yanking a spear from her side. She threw it away, blood pouring from her wounds as she stomped her feet in a display of strength.

Marvel rode past Katniss his spear raised, poised to throw again, as Mr. Everdeen fired an arrow at its eyes, missing by mere inches. The kanowou gave a pained cry as it thrashed wildly, shaking its head.

"Marvel!"

Marvel's horse had come too close to the thrashing kanowou. Her powerful trunk swung at him, knocking him from his saddle and his horse. He landed on the ground and managed to crawl away to safety as Katniss moved towards him, firing arrows to cover Carter as he rushed to help Marvel. The kanowou let out a furious bellow before charging her. Lady panicked, rearing onto her hind legs as the matriarch moved with an unexpected speed.

Katniss fell from Lady, falling to the ground, and bruising her side on her shattered bow. She glanced to her left and right, searching for help through the tall grass that smothered her vision. The matriarch rose again, determined to crush her beneath its feet.

A black feathered arrow whistled through the air before slamming into the matriarch's chest, causing her to stumble backwards. She crashed to the ground with an almighty crash, the ground trembling as she thrashed wildly before releasing one last cry of pain and going silent.

Katniss turned around swiftly, looking into the shifting prairie grass. Her father galloped towards her, sliding off Buttercup and clutching Katniss to him but Katniss' eyes continued roving the grass, searching for where the arrow had come for.

The matriarch had been the last kanowou to be killed and the rest of the men gathered around it, marveling at its sheer size when it suddenly rolled over and rose to its feet. The men scattered, reaching for their weapons, when another black feathered arrow pierced the matriarch's forehead, dropping her to the ground.

Everyone turned in the direction from which the arrow had come. A lone figure stood above the grass, his face hidden by a clay mask and his hood which was drawn over his face and decorated with a long blue feather. A cloak of woven grasses hung from his shoulders. His was still in the half-crouch from which he had fired his arrow.

A Forestman! The Plainsmen charged him, shouting war cries, their weapons ready to deliver a killing blow.

Just as they reached him, the grass wavered and stood. Dozens of Forestpeople rose from the prairie, each camouflaged in the same grass cloak and clay mask. Feathers of all colors hung from their hair or mask. They carried spears and bows. Swords, axes, and war-hammers swung menacingly in their hands. These were no hunters. They were raiders!

The nearest Plainsman skidded to a halt outside the ring of spear-points and blades, everyone else slowing to a halt behind him. The Plainspeople were out matched and they knew it.

* * *

They knelt before the Forestpeople, their hands on their heads as their silent guards walked by, occasionally kicking out at one of them. Katniss estimated their number at eighty or more men and women. Most went to butcher the kanowou, taking the meat for themselves as one guard stood watch every ten or so Plainsmen. Katniss knelt near the end of the line with her father and the Hawthornes. Katniss' guard watched her from where he stood to her right, at least she thought he was watching her. He wore black feathers in his dirty blonde hair, along with his mask, and carried a large axe in his hand.

The man with the blue feathered hood walked over to the guard and whispered something in ear. The guard nodded and the man left to talk with whom Katniss thought were the leaders, for they stood in a small group to the side and were conversing quickly and quietly. Each wore a different colored feather in their hair or on their hood.

The guard looked at the group of leaders before approaching Katniss and crouching down in front of her. He brushed a dirty finger against her cheek.

"I thought your women weren't allowed to hunt?" He asked, his gravely voice giving Katniss nasty, horrible shudders down her spine. He was missing a tooth and his breath smelt like choca (ch-oh-ca), a nasty smelling plant that was smoked by the People.

She smacked his hand away from her face as he laughed loudly.

"Feisty, aren't you? I'm going to like feeling you writhe beneath me. It makes me so hard," he whispered into her ear.

Her father bolted up and punched the man in the stomach.

"Get away from my daughter, you Fucker!"

He punched the man in the face, shattering the man's mask. He lunged at the man but was unable to get him. The man grabbed Katniss and raised his axe to her neck. Mr. Everdeen froze as Katniss gaped at him, horrified and paralyzed with fear.

"Uh, uh, uh. Sit down before you hurt someone you old Geezer," the man growled. He looked at the next guard, who had watched the entire event take place. Katniss' captor gestured to the Hawthornes and Mr. Everdeen with his axe. "Gorjack, watch these ones, will you."

The other guard nodded. "Hurry up, Titus. I'm next," he said.

Katniss' blood went cold. She looked frantically at her father with wide, panicked eyes. No, anything but this.

The man named Titus grabbed Katniss by her braid and pulled her to her feet. She clawed at his hands as he dragged her from her father. She shouted at the man, screaming and cursing at him. She paused to glance back once. Mr. Everdeen and the Hawthornes watched hopelessly as she was dragged away, their eyes glazed over. She watched as Gale mouthed something to her.

'Be strong.'

The rest of her party shared his look. Tears leaked from her eyes and which she quickly forced away. Katniss knew what was coming next and she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Titus would not see her pain.

He dragged her until he felt that they were far enough from the carcasses of the kanowou and shoved her to the ground. His hands grabbed at her as she kicked out at him, refusing to go down without a fight. That was, until he slapped her across the face, sending her to the ground in a daze.

"Bitch! Stay still!"

Katniss lay paralyzed in fear as the older man pulled of his shirt and reached out for her.

* * *

**Yo! So the story takes a bit of a darker turn there at the end and this time there's no one to save her. This is definitely going to put a kink into her relationship with Peeta. I hope you guys enjoyed it and leave a review if you can. Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6: Saved, Autumn

_"Grandmother!"_

_The old grandmother and her great-grandchildren jumped as a young woman entered the tent. She was very beautiful. Long, tan legs and silky blonde hair. She glared at the old woman with angry brown eyes._

_"They're still too young to be learning about that," she said walking over to the dozing children._

_Her grandmother smiled. "You're never too young to learn about history, Jasmine, my dear."  
_

_Jasmine frowned. "Yes but when you first told me I was scarred for life." She bent down to pick up Rowan and cradled him in her arms. "Come on, Alyssum. It's time for bed."_

_Alyssum's baby blue eyes began to tear up. "But I want to hear the rest of the story," she said crossing her arms defiantly._

_Her mother frowned at her. "Jasmine, it's late. You can finish the story tomorrow. Right, grandmother?"_

_Jasmine turned to her grandmother expectantly, Rowan still curled up and asleep in her arms. "Oh, yes, tomorrow, Alyssum. We'll continue the story in the morning, bright and early," she said._

_"See? Come now," Jasmine said, exiting the hut._

_Alyssum pouted at her great-grandmother. "You promise, Nana? Cause mama always promises but she lies," she whispered._

_Grandmother laughed. "Yes, I promise, child. Hurry along now." She said, gently pushing Alyssum out the door after her mother._

_Great-grandmother sighed softly and chuckled to herself as she shuffled to a bed made of soft furs. She laid down on the soft mattress and sighed contently. She quietly hummed to herself as she watched the fire jump and dance. Her grey eyes soon began to close and her breathing evened out._

* * *

Katniss' eyes glazed over as she focused on the blue sky and the passing clouds. She watched her body from above as if her spirit had left her body. She didn't expect her savior to be in the form of another raider. Katniss' eyes widened when she saw him approach, returning back to her body as Titus struggled to get out of his pants.

A stone to the head sent Titus' flying to the side and Katniss screamed. The leader with the long blue feathers walked towards her, facing Titus. He swung a sling expertly in his hands as Titus stood shakily.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Young Master," he whispered. He glanced once at Katniss and then back to the man before him. Titus bowed to the man before him and stared at the ground. "I didn't know you wanted her first, Young Master. I would have waited."

Katniss' stomach froze in fear and she vomited into the grass, hot tears streaming down her face. She turned to watch the man as he crouched down in front of her. Katniss flinched as he reached for her.

"No, please! I'll do anything!" She screamed, crawling away from him. "I'll use my mouth! Anything!"

The man stood up and turned to Titus, juggling a small round stone in his hand. "Titus, repeat what I said this morning," he commanded. Katniss was surprised to find that the man's voice was surprisingly high. He sounded no older than seventeen or eighteen but he spoke with the confidence of an elder.

Titus scrunched his forehead as he thought. "Um, Young Master said . . . to make sure that all our comrades survived the raid."

The boy flicked the stone at him, nailing Titus right in the forehead and drawing beads of blood. "About the women, idiot!"

Titus whimpered in pain as he tried to staunch the bleeding. " Leave the women and children untouched!" He cried.

The boy nodded. "Correct and what is this in front of me?" he asked, pointing to Katniss. There was a muttered reply. "What?"

"A girl."

"That's correct. Now, leave before I kick your ass. Have Paylor clean you wound," the boy commanded again.

Titus nodded and thanked him before dressing himself and leaving. The moment he disappeared over the hill the boy turned to her. He crouched and reached for Katniss again. She flinched again even though she knew he had no intention of hurting her. The boy shook his head.

"What would you do without me, Katniss?" he asked, taking his mask off.

Katniss gasped and then smacked him across the face. "Peeta! You fucking asshole!" She quickly stood up and punched him again and again. Peeta took the hits calmly, a small frown on his face.

"I was almost fucking raped! I can't believe you!" Katniss shouted, tears blurring her vision. "I can't believe you led them here!"

"My uncle forced me to join the hunt and you're damn lucky I did," Peeta said, grabbing Katniss' arms and holding them to his body. "Now, stop it!"

Katniss sagged against his body, her own heaving with sobs. " I wa-was s-so scared," she said, crying into his shoulder as they sank to the ground. Peeta cradled her as she sobbed, rocking back and forth gently.

"Hey, come on. You're alright. Everything's going to be fine now," he whispered into her hair. "No one's been hurt and everything will be okay."

Katniss looked up at him. "You're leaving?" she whimpered.

Peeta smiled. "Well, yeah. I live over there," he pointed towards the distant forests. "And you live here."

Katniss nodded and sniffed. "Um, thanks for saving me," she said. "Again."

Peeta smiled down at her. It seemed that Katniss would never stop owing this boy. Her eyes eagerly roved over him, taking in his appearance. This was no longer the chubby boy she had met a year ago. Peeta was at least half a foot taller than her now. She could feel the muscles in his arms as they protectively cocooned around her.

Then, she realized that she was being cradled in a boy's lap and stood up quickly, blushing a deep red. The sudden movement made Katniss' head swim and she teetered dangerously before grabbing onto Peeta for support.

He helped her sit on the ground and put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Katniss smiled softly at him. "It wasn't your fault."

Peeta smiled down at her and squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks. Here," he said.

Peeta held a flower out to her nose. It was tiny with delicate sky-blue petals only a few centimeters wide. Katniss inhaled reflexively and the scent was sweet and fragrant. She smiled even as her eyes fell shut and she was faintly aware of herself being lifted up and carried. The last thing Katniss would remember would be the soft flutter of lips against her forehead as she succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

The first thing she noticed when she awoke was that she was naked in a hut. The second thing she noticed was that she was surrounded by older women, Mrs. Everdeen and Hazel among them. Grandmother Sae sat next to her, smiling toothlessly. Shadows danced across the walls as Katniss sat up, pulling on a wool sweater her mother handed to her.

"Hello, child."

Katniss smiled at grandmother. "Hello, grandmother."

Grandmother Sae carefully reached out and cupped Katniss' cheeks. "How are you feeling, Katniss."

Katniss blinked. "I feel fine. Good, actually. Like I just woke up from a deep sleep," she said, smiling.

Mrs. Everdeen leaned down. "Are you sure, baby? What's the last thing you remember?"

Katniss scrunched up her nose in thought. "I was being carried by a Forestman."

The her mother nodded solemnly and Katniss heard quiet whispering amongst the women. Grandmother Sae shushed them. "Now, Katniss did he touch you?" she asked.

Katniss looked at her, her eyes wide. "Touch me?" she asked confusedly. "Of course, he did," she said, smiling cheerfully. There were cries of disgust and shock. The smile slipped from her face. "What? Oh. Ooh. No!," she shouted. "No, he didn't touch me like that. Eew."

There were sighs of relief as the women quieted. Mrs. Everdeen glared at her. "You scared the hell out of me, Katniss," she said, clutching her heart.

Grandmother Sae looked at her. "Are you sure? No one touched you at all?"

Katniss nodded. "Yes, I'm sure, grandmother."

The old woman nodded. "You're not sore at all are you? No? Well, alright then." Sae stood up and smiled at her before turning to the group around them. She waved her hands at the women. "Come, let's give the girl some room," she said.

The women quickly filed out of the hut, leaving only Mrs. Everdeen sitting beside Katniss. Mrs. Everdeen stood up and began to boil some meat for stew as Mr. Everdeen walked in with Prim, who bounced over to Katniss excitedly.

"Hey," she shouted. "You're awake now!"

Katniss smiled at Prim. "Yeah, I guess so."

Prim smiled widely. "You were asleep for two whole days," she said holding up two fingers to Katniss' face.

"Really?" Katniss asked, looking at her mother for confirmation.

Mrs. Everdeen nodded and Mr. Everdeen spoke up. "Are you okay, baby?

Katniss nodded and smiled at him. "Yes, daddy. I'm fine," she said. Her stomach growled loudly and they laughed.

Mr. Everdeen walked over her and lifted her up, carrying her to their small kitchen table. Katniss sat quietly as Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen finished preparing the meal. They set a bowl of stew in front of her and handed her a slice of bread. She slurped away at her stew as Prim readied herself for bed.

When Prim had finally drifted off to sleep and Katniss had finished her stew, she looked up at her parents who were staring at her intently. Katniss decided to ask them about Peeta and the kanowou.

"So," she said. "What happened after I fell asleep?" she asked.

Mr. Everdeen looked at Mrs. Everdeen who nodded encouragingly. "Well, after that man took you away I thought I had lost you," he said, sighing. Katniss thought she saw a tear trickle down her father's cheek. "I thought that it would be the last time I saw you. But then that man chased after you . . . and he brought you back." His voice trembled dangerously and rubbed his face furiously.

Katniss reached out and grasped her father's hand. "I'm alright, daddy."

Mr. Everdeen smiled. "I know, kitty."

* * *

_"Nana? Nana! Wake up!"_

_The great-grandmother sighed as she opened her eyes. A pair of grey orbs and a mop of brown hair stared down at her. A tiny hand slapped her on the cheek and she felt him press the tip of his nose against hers, his forehead pressing down on hers also.  
_

_"Hello, Rowan," she moaned, stretching her arms._

_Rowan smiled. "Hello, Nana. Story time?" he asked, his eyes curious._

_The entrance of the hut opened and Jasmine walked in, tying her hair into a ponytail. A blonde-haired man walked in after her as she picked up the baby boy and balanced him against her hip._

_"Not right now, baby. Maybe later," Jasmine said, as Rowan pouted._

_Grandmother smiled at the young man. "Hello, Elro. How are you today?"_

_Jasmine's husband smiled widely. "Just fine, grandmother. I see our troublemaker woke you."_

_Grandmother laughed. "Oh, it's fine. He reminds me of some children I knew."_

_Elro and Jasmine laughed as Grandmother rose to her feet. "Come, we need to get ready my children. I want to be off by noon."_

_The old women helped cook the breakfast meal as the young men and women took down the huts and loaded the wagons. It was nearing midsummer now and they needed to reach the capitol before the celebrations began. The tribe quickly finished their breakfast and they readied the horses and oxen. Once the beasts were hitched to the wagons the tribe began their journey. Grandmother watched as the laughing children ran among the wagons and adults. She smiled. Life had not always been this peaceful._

* * *

**Yo! I can't believe you guys thought I would let Katniss get raped. It's a story being told to kids, but yeah, I guess I could see how you would think it was a rape scene. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stick with me though because next chapter is gonna get juicy. Especially when Katniss starts to feel little butterflies in her stomach every time she thinks of a certain blue eyed boy. Plus, I finally got my computer back. Anyways, leave a review if you enjoyed it. It's supposed to motivate me (at least that's the idea).**


	7. Chapter 7: Blizzard, Winter

_Grandmother sat in the back of the wagon as it slowly moved along the road. Elro drove the horses as Jasmine and the children napped next to her. Alyssum yawned loudly as she awoke. She looked up to find her great-grandmother smiling down at her._

_"Hello, Alyss."_

_Alyss smiled back and brushed her blonde bangs from her face. "Hi, Nana. Can you finish telling us about the two lovers now?" she asked, standing up and walking to the edge of the wagon. She sat down and dangled her feet as she sat next to her grandmother._

_Grandmother laughed. "Oh, someone is very eager, isn't she?" she asked. "But let's wait for Rowan to wake up first, okay?"_

_"Up, up!" Rowan cried, kicking off his blanket and rolling from his back to his stomach. He smiled at grandmother before giggling into his pillow._

_Grandmother smiled, her eyes twinkling. "What is going through your mind, baby?"_

_Rowan giggled again. "Story time?" he asked, sucking on his thumb._

_"Yes, I suppose so," grandmother said, smoothing her dress down. "So, Katniss was saved by Peeta after the bad man tried to hurt her, yes?"_

_Alyssum nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, Peeta kicked his butt."_

_Grandmother laughed. "That's right! Now, -"_

* * *

As autumn turned into winter Katniss' tribe dispersed. They split up into small groups of four or five families and moved from the wide open plains to the foreboding mountains to the west or the populous cities of the east. Beneath the mountains shadows the Everdeens and their friends settled a few miles from the forests and woodlands and built their large circular huts. They used thick animal skins to form the protective outsides of their huts. This important outer layer would protect them from the howling winds and drifting snow. After their huts had been prepared the adults and older children of the group rode the short distance to the forests and began to fell trees, chopping them up into firewood for the cold winter months.

Katniss' tribe had just finished storing their firewood when the first snow came. It began slowly at first with large, fat snowflakes that quickly piled on top of one another. But then the weather got worse. Soon, the snow began to fall thick and fast and the wind roared, blasting the scattered huts of the community with powerful gusts. Katniss and Prim watched as their usually sturdy huts began to quake and shake under the onslaught.

Every evening the families would get together in a hut and share a meal. As they ate the adults told the children stories around the fire and they played games and danced as well. Katniss laughed with the kids as Mr. Cartwright told a silly joke. Storms weren't always a bad thing, often times they brought families closer together.

But it didn't end after a day. It didn't end after two. Three, four, five, six days the wind blew against the huts. Katniss watched as her father quickly entered the hut, shutting the entrance behind him. He sat down near the fire and piled an armfull of logs onto the fire. Katniss sat next to him as he tiredly wiped his face and Mrs. Everdeen set a plate of roast meat before him.

"How's it look ouside, honey?" Mrs. Everdeen asked.

Mr. Everdeen swallowed a piece of meat and sighed. "The same as the day before. A little snow but mostly wind. The Hawthornes and Cartwrights are itching to go hunting." He stared into the fire. "Hopefully this storm passes by tomorrow."

The storm did, in fact, end that night and Katniss rose early the next morning with her father, refreshed and eager to hunt. They joined the Hawthornes and Cartwrights for their morning meal and she joked with the boys as the men talked. When all was decided they had taken off just as the sun was rising. Katniss, Mr. Everdeen, and the Hawthornes headed into the forests to search for game as the Mr. Cartwright, Marvel, and the others went back onto the plains to hunt. Katniss and her band stopped at a large forked tree a quarter mile into the forest. It rose to nearly eighty feet, a good thirty feet taller than the other trees around it.

Mr. Everdeen rapped his knuckles on it. "We'll meet back here at noon. If you aren't back find somewhere to camp until we come for you. Everyone have their tinderbox and lunch? Good." He smiled. "Noon, don't forget?"

As Mr. Everdeen finished talking Gale walked up next to Katniss. She smiled up at him as he bumped her shoulder. He chuckled and they took off, deeper into the white woods. They carefully picked their way through the snow as they traveled, watching for any sign of game but Katniss could tell that the woods made Gale uneasy. After a while he began to fall behind her.

"Come on, Catnip, stay close," he whispered.

Katiss turned around. "I'm fine. Let's keep going a little further," she said, adjusting her quiver on her back.

Gale shook his head." No, Katniss. We haven't seen crap yet, let's head back."

Katniss sighed. "Just a little further then we'll turn around, okay?"

He glared at her. "No, Katniss. We're going back," he commanded, turning around.

Katniss' temper flared. Sometimes he could be a real idiot. "Fine, go back then! See if I care," she shouted, pushing onward.

* * *

Katniss continued hunting for another hour, shooting two rabbits as she continued deeper into the forest. She stopped when she came to a large rocky outcropping, overlooking the plains. Katniss climbed up onto it and sat down, drinking water from her waterskin as she watched the sky. It was a sunny blue, nice and calm. It was rare to get such good weather here around this time so Katniss took her time enjoying it. She ate her lunch of deer jerky as she observed the serene landscape around her.

Then, for some reason, she thought of Peeta. She was in his forest and she could easily find her way to his cave in the mountains but the thought of seeing him made Katniss feel funny. Whenever she thought of him she always felt like there were butterflies in her stomach. She didn't like it so she kept it to herself, sure that it was just a stomach bug from something she ate. Maybe if Katniss could slip away for a day she could go see him but she doubted it. He had probably gone deeper into the forest to escape the frost.

As she basked in the sun thinking she noticed the sound of a bird singing. It was soft, melodic and soothing to her ears. Then it fluttered down in front of Katniss and she laughed. It was her tiny mockingjay. The black bird landed next to her hands and stared at her curiously. It tweeted softly to her.

Katniss smiled and brushed her braid back. "Hello," she whispered, reaching her hand out. "Shouldn't you be down south?" she asked.

The bird twittered again and hopped away, pecking at a few grains that had been kicked up by Katniss' footsteps. Katniss stood up and followed after it. She smiled as the bird fluttered up and down among the shrubbery and low tree branches. She gasped in surprise when another mockingjay appeared in front of her. She could tell it was a male by the blue plume of feathers on its head.

The male mockingjay circled the female as it landed, nuzzling the female softly. The two pecked at one another's beak as if they were kissing and Katniss couldn't help but smile. They were too cute.

Suddenly, the sky turned dark and grey. The clouds began to turn black with anger and snow began to fall again. She watched bewildered as animals began to run for shelter. Mice, squirrels, and birds escaped into the tree branches as they felt the sudden change in temperature. A doe bounded through the branches as it fast as it had come.

Katniss began to run. She knew that she was too far from the forest's edge to escape to the camp so she decided to make a dangerous descision. Katniss turned from the plains and began to climb the mountain, running up the steep slope and dodging trees left and right. She gasped for air as she ran, the snow falling in swirls behind her.

The wind roared against her as she rushed onward. It pushed her sideways and backwards as she ran. The trees did little to block the ferocity of each blow. Katniss was running when she tripped and fell, tumbling into the snow. She cried out in pain as she knocked her head into a tree branch. Cursing, she clutched a hand to her head as she stood up on wobbly legs.

Her vision clouded as she continued on, slowing to a walk. The cold had finally gotten to her. It seeped in from her arms and legs, eventually moving to consume her core. She clutched her arms to her body as she continued up the mountain side.

Katniss, knew she was close when she couldn't feel her feet and they began to feel like lead weights. She knew she was even closer when she couldn't feel her fingers and clutched her heavy wool coat to as close as possible to her body. She tripped again and fumbled to stay upright but she failed and fell to the ground in a heap. A tear escaped from her, quickly freezing to her cheek.

She could have swore she heard a bird singing . . . and then the sound of drums.

* * *

She was hot. A heavy weight laid on her body, radiating heat onto her. She struggled to free herself, her vision still fuzzy with sleep when a pair of curious blue eyes appeared in her vision.

"Prim?" she whispered weakly.

The eyes blinked. "What's a prim?" it asked. "Hey, Wheat? What's a prim?"

Katniss blinked her eyes confusedly as another pair of blue eyes came into view. "I don't know," a second voice said. She grimaced as someone roughly poked her cheek. "Hey, you. What's a prim?"

Katniss moaned as she tried pushing off the weight again. "Hot," she whispered hoarsely.

The second voice snorted. " I think she's hot, Rye. Take off the blankets."

"Okay, go ahead," the first voice answered back.

"No, you do it."

"No, you."

"You're closer!" The second voice shouted.

"No, it's just a blanket. You do it."

"I'm the oldest, you have to listen!"

"Nuh unh."

"Yeah huh, you have to!"

"It's just a blanket!"

"I'm going to tell Peeta!"

"He likes me more so it doesn't matter!"

A powerful blast of wind suddenly rocketed through the cave as someone entered. Katniss glanced up to see Peeta leaning an axe against the cave wall as Rex bounded towards her. The large dog curled up around her and she smiled. Her hazy eyes drunk in Peeta and her heart began to thump faster.

"What are you two brats fighting about?"

The second voice, Wheat, spoke up. "Peeta, Rye's not taking off her blankets."

Katniss heard Peeta sigh and his quiet footsteps as he approached. "Don't be so lazy, Wheaton," he said, lifting a thick fur blanket off of her.

The first voice, Rye, laughed triumphantly. "Told you! I am Peeta's favorite, you know."

"No, you aren't! Peeta likes me more!" Wheat cried out. "Tell him, Peeta!"

"Shut up! I hate both of you. Rye, you need to quit being lazy too."

Peeta crouched before her as the two younger boys burst into argument again. He smiled down at her. "Hey, how you are you feeling?" he asked, lifting off another heavy blanket.

Katniss smiled. She always smiled when she was around him. "Better. Maybe one more blanket?" She asked.

Peeta smiled and lifted off a third blanket. He leaned down close to her and peered into her eyes. He held a hand out and rested the back of it on her forehead.

"Hmm, bit better," he muttered.

Katniss blushed as he moved closer, resting his forehead against hers. She stared at him with wide eyes and he smiled.

"Looks like you don't have too bad of a fever. Here, chew on this," he said, helping her sit up and handing her a small root.

She took it and began to obediently chew the bitter root. She let her eyes wander the cave for a second. The rocky cave was the same as last spring. A large cave with a dirt floor and decorated walls. A brightly burning fire danced in the middle of the cave, giving life saving heat to the chilly air. Her eyes eventually fell onto two boys wrestling on the ground. Peeta walked over to them and grabbed them by their shirts, thumping both of them on the head with his hand. He shoved them towards her.

"Introduce yourselves," he commanded.

They were twins, miniature versions of Peeta, almost. Stocky and strong with bright, mischevious blue eyes and blonde hair. They grinned at her and then at Peeta, who ushered them on with his hand.

The one on the left spoke first. "Wheaton Mellark. Second son, the older twin. Eight years old," he said, smirking and shoving the other boy with his shoulder.

The second one growled at him and shoved back. "Shut up," he snapped. "Rye Mellark. Third son, youngest, and also eight years old."

Katniss laughed. "Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Katniss."

The twins laughed. "We know," they said together. "Peeta told us about you."

Katniss giggled. "He did, did he?" she asked.

Peeta smiled nervously. "Alright, go get some wood for the fire, guys," he said, shoving them out of the cave. He turned back towards her and walked over to the burning fire in the middle of the cave, moving the ashes around with a stick before sitting in front of her.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?" he said quietly. Katniss nodded. "Um, alright. Well, I'm a Mellark." He paused. "As in the son of Bannock Mellark."

Katniss blinked her eyes and Peeta stared at her.

"Soooo," Katniss said, drawing out the word as the twins came bounding back inside the cave, laden with logs.

Peeta sighed again. "Bannock Mellark is the leader of our tribe, and that means that I am next in line."

The twins dumped their logs into the fire and rushed over to their sides, leaning over Peeta's shoulders. Wheaton smiled brightly. "Then it's me!" He said excitedly. "And then Rye!"

Katniss sat up as it dawned on her. "So, your dad is the boss? The leader?" Her voice grew steadily louder. "He was the one who sent that raid!"

The twins hid behind Peeta as her anger flared. He held out his hands defensively. "Now, Katniss, calm down. It wasn't his decision."

She glared at him, her grey eyes burning with anger. "Like hell it wasn't!" She shouted.

"No, seriously. It wasn't. It was voted on by everyone in our tribe. Honestly," Peeta sputtered.

Suddenly, Rex stood up. His ears flattened as he growled, menacingly. Peeta, Wheaton, and Rye were up in a flash. They ran to a pile of spears and grabbed them, rushing to Rex's side as he glared at the opening of the cave. Shuffling came from the other side as something moved the deerskin flap that covered the was surprised to see the twins stand with their brother. They held the spear just like him, gripped solidly and strongly as if they had already known how to use one.

Then, Rex barked and sprinted out of the cave. There was a girlish squeal and then a thump. A voice could be heard screaming from outside.

"Rex, stop it! Rex! Down, boy!"

The twins laughed as they too ran out. "Madge!" They cried.

Peeta smiled. "Goddammit," he muttered.

The entrance was parted a second later to reveal a girl in a thick fur coat, her hood still up. The twins swarmed around her asking questions excitedly as she unbuttoned her coat and slipped out of it. She was blonde and blue eyed, much like Peeta.

"Peeta!" She cried, running to him and pulling him into a hug. "Oh my god, it's been so long!" Then, she kissed him . . . and Katniss felt her heart shatter.

* * *

**Hey, guys, what's up? Sorry about the long wait. May and June were pretty busy for me. I had finals to prepare for, AP testing, and then setting up my college schedule. Then my great-grandmother passed away and that, coupled with a good helping of writer's block, just made it hard to write anything. Also, a heads up on Faceless. I honestly want to work on it but I can barely keep up with this story. I'll work extremely hard to update it but I can't make any promises. Sorry about that to everyone waiting on it. Anyways, thanks again for reading.  
**


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